Kalamazoo man arrested after building fire

KALAMAZOO, Michigan – A man was arrested early Saturday morning for obstructing a fire department operation in Kalamazoo.

It happened just after 2:00 a.m. Police were called to a fire at a residential building on North Rose Street. When they arrived, the back half of the building was engulfed in flames.

The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety reports that it took only about 10 minutes to extinguish the fire. Officers stayed nearby to ensure no embers were left behind.

While the fire was being extinguished, a crowd had formed near the scene and we were told that a man attempted to enter the building against the wishes of firefighters. He was subsequently arrested for obstructing a firefighter and taken to the Kalamazoo County Jail.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation and authorities advise anyone with information to contact the KDPS Fire Marshal’s Office at (269) 337-8260 or Silent Observer at (269) 343-2100.